Sadd Iron’s
basil | 7/21/2005 | 6:18 am
Hardy and Padmore’s Patent Combination Hot Air and Laundry Stove.
Sad or Sadd Irons.
The old English word Sadd meant heavy or leaden, rather like my Fruit Cakes or Bread.
In Victorian times virtually every household had one or more Sadd Irons which were used for domestic and commercial ironing of the household linen. The irons were heated by placing them on the hot stove or close to the fire until they were very hot. If the iron was spat on and sizzled it was ready for use.While one was being used another one was placed on the stove to heat up.
Thousands of these cast iron pieces of useful equipment were produced by the family business Hardy and Padmore in Worcester and delivered all over the country. For the larger Commercial Laundries they also manufactured large heating stoves as illustrated on page 26 of their 1885 catalogue. Made in a variety of forms, with the iron holders blanked off, they could be used to heat premises quite effectively and are still found in Churches and Chapels.
In recent times Sadd irons have become collectible and are often used as doorstops if the household doesn’t own H&P Punch or Judy proper door furniture. They were made in a huge range of sizes and some were extremely decorative. Collectors from all over the world can be found on web sites by entering Sadd. Max
Ornate Hardy and Padmore Lamp standard.
Hardy and Padmore made very decorative lamps for Eastbourne. All along the seafront their multi coloured globes made a colourful scene.They wouldn’t survive the modern vandal. Max.
Worcester Fireplace in cast iron.
Cast iron tables, with or without marble tops.
Hardy and Padmore handweight.
Black Stove.
The black stove in the kitchen at The Commandery would appear to have been manufactured at The Worcester Foundry. It is illustrated in their 1885 Catalogue.
When I visited the house in the 1970’s with my elderly mother she shuddered at the sight of it. As a young girl living at The Commandery she had to black lead the grate regularly. Max
A Selection of Stoves from Hardy and Padmores Catalogue.
